thailand

Made it to Thailand and all I can say is that this country is just gentle and kind.
The food is just so good. And the plants are making me very happy.
How can the smell of jasmine not make anyone happy?
Very ready to get out of Bangkok. It's easy and beautiful but craving the countryside and peace.

I wonder if Northern India didn't do permanent scarring? Everything in life is just so much easier and kinder. I know the south will be easier and so much different. Will be ready and I am looking forward to getting back to that crazy country.
Fiending to get back on my mat desperately.

in full effect

Difficult to access internet in Nepal.
Been sequestered in Dhaka for the past few days. Much needed pampering; massage and comfy bed with TV. I don't have a TV in NY so it was pure luxury for me. Oddly enought, watched Oprah for the first time.
Leaving for Bangkok this afternoon to meet Jon and Misha.

The head bob was in full effect here in Bangladesh.
Every question is answered with it. It's difficult to ignore the body language. Especially when it contradicts the language being spoken.
Will try to post more soon.

And thank you everyone for birthday wishes. It was very nice to open those emails.
Had a wonderful traditional Tibetan birthday dinner, a hot pot soup. yummy.

Nepal photos in random order...

Eva, I put my picture in just for you!

And, I'm not wearing black!!!

xo, gealba

Ahh...Nepal

Goodbye India for now.
AHHH, Nepal.

India just pulls you in like there's a strong undertow.
You hold on and get pulled along. I feel the undertow the most when I'm on a bicycle rickshaw entering a rotary. You hold your breath and you get pulled in.
It's utter mayhem: people on bikes, cars, cows, rickshaws...horns and bike bells clanging. There's no semblance of order. But you miraculously come up for air.

In Nepal and cherishing the calm and quiet.
After a 10 hour bus ride out of Varanasi, with one flat tire, I've entered the Royal Kingdom of Nepal
Stopped in Lumbini and the Maya Devi Temple, birthplace of Buddha.
Currently in Chitwan National Park.
In the twenty minute walk from my lodge to town I am happy to report that so far the Nepalese honk their horns when they have to. I walked passed fields and homes with banana trees. Women riding bicycles with umbrellas in their hands, bicycle rickshaws, goats, water buffalo, elephants out for strolls, tractors...all in utter silence!
Ahh, Nepal.
The Nepalese are just beautiful people with open smiling faces.
Even the stray dogs seem happier here.

Varanasi

So India

Currently in Agra and returned from sunset at the Taj Mahal.
Had zero expectations and was just in absolute awe.
It is truly majestic and took my breath away.
The sun going down and seeing the light turn golden yellow was just magnificent.


India is as insane as I thought it would be.
The traffic, noise, smells are bloody awful. The place is just total mayhem and makes no sense but I'm loving it.

The head bobble.
The head bobble makes no sense.
Is it yes, or is it no?!
Why is every answer responded to with that bobble??
Amazing.


Masala chai is a wonderful thing.

PS
My black berry is still not working.
Can't go into it.
At the last attempt all I could think was, "How many Indians does it take to get a blackberry to work?"
Tempted to call my boys from 72nd Street for tech support.
How sad is that, calling from India to NYC for help?
Now that's so India.

delhi, leaning and looking

Arrived in Delhi and am ensconced in Clara's house.  Lonely Planet describes Sunder Nagar where I am as "a leafy up-market suburb." Which is fine by me. 

Delhi is dirty. I'm sure it was a splendid city back before partition but now it's a city in decay.

It's okay to spit and pee anywhere. It's not a walking city either.

There are no boundaries.

It's okay to stand literally up on top of you when there is no one else around. Cutting in line is okay, if you call that a line. It's more of a throng than a line. It's okay to lean and look over your shoulder at anytime to see what you're writing. So is leaning and looking over your shoulder to look at the view finder on your camera. 

Being in a leafy suburb with a golden retriever to get over jet lag is a wonderful thing.

Getting my phone set up is a lesson of how India works.

Fill out forms.

Fill out forms which ask my father's name.

Photocopy passport and visa.

Fill out another form.

Receive sim card and Indian phone number.

The phone works.  

But not texting or e-mail.

Setting up the internet is another story.

Call customer service.  The number is perpetually busy. How can that be?

No ma'am, call this customer service number.

 I must send a text message to start the internet.

"Okay what is it I have to text? B as in boy? Come again?"

 In complete exasperation of trying to ascertain what it is have to text because I have to get this right, I hand the phone to Johnson Clara's driver who has a difficult time in Hindi understanding. 20 minutes later, I send a text. 

Tomorrow they send me a text.  

I'm supposed to respond to that text. Shut off my phone and when I turn it on again it's supposed to work. We'll see. 

I think this is how things work in India; haphazard and in a roundabout way. 

Did go to a great crafts museum and some tombs.

Everyone raves about the North but I'm itching to head South.